Thanks to my good friend, Greg, I'm off to kick the bricks at tomorrow's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, the biggest event in Indianapolis (not to mention on the Nascar racing circuit) this weekend. We were able to secure four tickets, so Caleb and I and my two second cousins from Oregon are going to go roast in the sun to the deafening sounds of racing thunder. Being only about 3 miles from the track now, Jean can just drop us off for the afternoon of sweltering euphoria.
Ironically, I've lived near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway my entire life, and have only been to one major racing event there (the Indianapolis 500, once). So, this is a dream come true for this closet Nascar fan ever since the hometown favorite, Jeff Gordon, one the innaugural Brickyard 400 back in '94. I'll see y'all when we get back. "Gentlemen, start your engines...!" 
UPDATE: As most of you have probably heard by now (if you follow Nascar at all), this year's Brickyard 400 was one minute short of setting the record for the longest Brickyard race in history (and that's not necessarily the kind of record you want to shoot for when it's 85+ degrees outside). With the ongoing tire problems, combined with the mandatory cautions, it was a race of fits and starts. Indy Star sports columnist Bob Kravtiz's take on this "lamest spectacle in racing" was on target. As he wrote, "This was like being at the NBA playoffs when the basketballs go flat and nobody has an air pump." That said, we managed to have a good time and Caleb was a super trooper. Given that this was our first Nascar race, the "ignorance it bliss" delusion proved valuable.
It was like Jean's first labor and delivery with Caleb. We had never been in that situation and only had the hyped-up Hollywood version of birth to go by. Who knew that Caleb wasn't supposed to break his collar bone and Jean wasn't supposed to break her tail bone? Isn't this how they all go? (Anyway, 7 hours later we staggered into the house for a fantastic meal and a very long night's sleep... :)
Go Kevin Harvick!!
Posted by: Mandy Leech | July 27, 2008 at 09:30 AM
Hope you had fun. That race stunk. BO-RING.
Posted by: Resident Atheist | July 27, 2008 at 06:10 PM